Dream and Valkyries tied WNBA Finals 2-2 as anthem protest debate resurfaces

Summary

The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries are tied 2-2 in the WNBA Finals after four absorbing games, following the Valkyries' 67-62 win. Before Saturday's game at State Farm Arena, singer Crystal Renee sang the national anthem while photographers, game officials and event security stood around her, and the teams stayed in their locker rooms before returning to shootarounds once the anthem ended. The Guardian argues that many people in America would rather revisit the national anthem debate than watch the basketball, recalling Jay-Z's declaration seven years ago that the culture had moved past kneeling, a line tied to the NFL's crackdown on anthem protests. It says right-wing media and politicians still make sports a battleground for patriotism, with basketball as its chief casualty.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   25 Oct 2026, 12:48 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries are tied 2-2 in the WNBA Finals after the Valkyries' 67-62 win, and argues that right-wing media and politicians keep turning sports into a patriotism battleground despite the decline of anthem protests.